ABOUT US

HANDMADE CYMBALS

The cymbal-making process is a dramatic one that employs ancient
techniques from the early 17th century. Red-hot discs are forged in
great, fiery ovens. These discs are made of bronze, a metal which is
not found in the earth. Rather, it is an alloy fashioned from a mixture of
tin and copper. The magic of Turkish Cymbals starts here. Our smiths
demand only the finest quality bronze. Once the alloy passes their strict
quality standards, they melt it down, and pour hot, liquid bronze into
a mould shaped like a cymbal. Upon cooling, the disc is reheated in
a traditional oven stoked with wood & coal. Rolling mills are fed these
red-hot castings. As each casting hardens, a cup is added, and this
becomes the bell of the cymbal. Our smith then retrieves the cymbal, and
begins hammering it by hand. The tone, as well as the pitch, is created
in this way. After each disc is hammered and coaxed into perfection, it
is ready for the final step in the process. The new cymbal is spun upon
a lathe until it is perfectly round. The lathe may also cut grooves to add
character. Finally, our cymbal is either left with a natural finish, or refined
with a mirror-like, high polish. As with every other step in the process,
the polish is added with care and devotion by hand. Now our creation
is ready to be played!

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Rare and magical instruments, our cymbals each
have unique voices that will continue to sing for as long as you own them.
Quite naturally, they unite the ancient past of Istanbul with the future of
music all around the world. And they are made to enchant the ears, unlike
the mass-produced trinkets that our competition dares to call cymbals.

QUALITY MATERIAL

At TURKISH, we create individual works of art. Our cymbals are either
perfect, or they are thrown onto the rubbish heap. There are no "factory
seconds." If a cymbal bares our logo, it has attained perfection. This
is hard, labour-intensive work, and relies on the skill and experience of
our craftsmen. But it's worth it for the individual sound that drummers
find when they test our cymbals. You, too, will be delighted to find many
different sound characteristics in our range. At the Turkish Cymbals
Company our goal is to provide the sound that all drummers want and
need--a unique offering for the modern musician.